SOME MEMBERS OF WTO COME OUT AGAINST ARMENIA'S ACCESSION TO EAEU AND SUGGEST REVISING DUTIES
arminfo
Wednesday, December 3, 16:26
The World Trade Organization (WTO) cannot apply sanctions against
Armenia for the latter's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union
(EAEU) and changes in the customs duties, Mher Tsaturyan, Head of the
WTO Division of the Armenian Economy Ministry, has told ArmInfo when
commenting on the media reports.
Tsaturyan says that the WTO membership implies no sanctions or judicial
proceedings for a WTO member's failure to perform the contractual
obligations. All problems are settled by means of negotiations and
a consensus.
WTO has over 150 members and if a country dose not agree to the
change in customs duties, it has the right to apply for revision of
the duties. "Armenia can revise the duty on a specific commodity in
the course of negotiations or compensate for it by reducing the duty
on another commodity. WTO envisages no sanctions or penalties in this
process", says Tsaturyan.
In the meantime, he points out that Armenia has already informed its
trade partners of accession to the EAEU, which will start functioning
on 1 Jan 2015. "Following preliminary negotiations, two WTO member
states have already submitted applications to Armenia. They suggest
revising the duties. The talks are underway", he says. Tsaturyan does
not specify those countries. It has repeatedly been mentioned that
the average customs duties in the EAEU will be much higher than the
current duties in Armenia.
arminfo
Wednesday, December 3, 16:26
The World Trade Organization (WTO) cannot apply sanctions against
Armenia for the latter's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union
(EAEU) and changes in the customs duties, Mher Tsaturyan, Head of the
WTO Division of the Armenian Economy Ministry, has told ArmInfo when
commenting on the media reports.
Tsaturyan says that the WTO membership implies no sanctions or judicial
proceedings for a WTO member's failure to perform the contractual
obligations. All problems are settled by means of negotiations and
a consensus.
WTO has over 150 members and if a country dose not agree to the
change in customs duties, it has the right to apply for revision of
the duties. "Armenia can revise the duty on a specific commodity in
the course of negotiations or compensate for it by reducing the duty
on another commodity. WTO envisages no sanctions or penalties in this
process", says Tsaturyan.
In the meantime, he points out that Armenia has already informed its
trade partners of accession to the EAEU, which will start functioning
on 1 Jan 2015. "Following preliminary negotiations, two WTO member
states have already submitted applications to Armenia. They suggest
revising the duties. The talks are underway", he says. Tsaturyan does
not specify those countries. It has repeatedly been mentioned that
the average customs duties in the EAEU will be much higher than the
current duties in Armenia.